‘It’s Not Even Close’: CNN Legal Analyst Pumps the Brakes on Trump’s Claim That Democrats Committed Sedition
CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig dismissed President Donald Trump’s claim that Democratic lawmakers engaged in a seditious conspiracy.
Last week, lawmakers Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) released a video telling members of the armed forces and intelligence agencies to “refuse illegal orders.” All six are veterans of the armed forces or the CIA.
Trump erupted, writing on Truth Social, “It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand – We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET.”
The FBI is now investigating the lawmakers and will reportedly interview them.
On Tuesday’s installment of The Source on CNN, Kaitlain Collins asked Honig.
“So, let’s say they get these interviews,” Collins said. “Legally, what is the objective? Are they gonna ask them how the video is made? I don’t really– what would they ask?”
Honig, a former federal prosecutor, said the Democrats’ actions are “not even close” to being a crime for multiple reasons.
“Legally, none that I can think of,” he replied. “No legitimate objective. Let me be clear here. There is no crime.”
Honig went on to say that the Democrats’ speech is constitutionally protected:
It is right down the middle of First Amendment political speech. It’s not even anything adjacent to a crime, or that could develop into a crime. I wanna make sure people understand. When Trump raises seditious conspiracy, he is so far out of line, it’s hard to describe. It’s not even close to seditious conspiracy.
The other thing the people in both videos are protected by something called the Speech and Debate Clause, which says that sitting members of Congress cannot be prosecuted for speech, comments that they make in the course of their official duties. So, even if it got that far, they would have a perfect defense.
Honig went on to say that while he thinks the lawmakers are “sending a bad message to the uniformed members of the military,” as far as the law is concerned, “[T]here’s nothing here.”
Watch above via CNN.
